1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and a connecting structure of circuit boards therewith, wherein two crossing or perpendicularly arranged circuit boards are electrically connected with a connector having surface contact-type terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 19, 20 show a connecting structure of a connector and a circuit assembly disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-67340.
In this structure, as shown in FIG. 19, a wiring harness 98, namely a circuit assembly, is arrange between a door, panel 95 and a door trim 96 of a motor vehicle through a waterproof sheet 97, and a connector 99 of the wiring harness 98 and a connector 101 of a switch unit 100, namely one of accessories to be assembled to the door trim, are connected.
As shown in FIG. 20, the connector 99 on a side of the circuit assembly projects toward the door trim 96 in a state of provisional engagement with a holder 102. The holder 102 is fixed to the door panel 95. The connector 101 on a side of accessory 100 has a plurality of male terminals 103 inside thereof, the connector 102 on a side of the circuit assembly has a plurality of female terminals 104 inside thereof, and the female terminals 104 are pressure-welded to the respective electric wires 105 of the circuit assembly.
Upon assembling the accessory 100 to the door trim 96 (FIG. 19) in a state that the door trim 96 has been assembled to the door panel 95, the connector 101 is coupled with the connector 99, while both the connectors 99,101 enter the holder 102. The above structure is applicable to a case of an instrument panel, not limited to a door of a motor vehicle.
With respect to the above prior art, however, when connecting the circuit assembly 98 with the accessory 100, the circuit assembly should be of a flexible wire (i.e. a wiring harness) especially so as to absorb a possible position divergence. Therefore, much man-hour is required for arrangement work of the circuit assembly 98 since the circuit assembly 98 is complicated, and also the structure is not compact and the cost is fairly large. Specifically, pressure-welding work between the electric wires 105 as the circuit assembly 98 and the terminals 104 and inserting work of the terminals 104 into the connector 99 require much man-hour, and also assembling workability is not good.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a connecting structure of circuit boards therewith, wherein circuit boards as a circuit assembly can be easily and securely connected compactly with good workability, without using a flexible electric wire.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a connector for connecting orthogonally arranged circuit boards comprises: a first circuit board; a second circuit board orthogonally arranged relative to the first circuit board; a terminal having first and second contact portions for the respective first and second circuit boards; and a housing to accommodate the terminal.
As a second aspect of the present invention, an engaging member for attaching the housing to the first circuit board projects from the housing, and the first contact portion projects in a same direction as-the engaging member.
As a third aspect of the present invention, the engaging member is pivotable.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, the engaging member is longitudinally movable at an engaging portion provided on the first circuit board.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, the housing consists of a pair of housings turnable about a hinge, and a second contact portion of the terminal is accommodated between the housings.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, a shaft portion of the hinge is formed integrally with the engaging member.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, the housings are supported by an elastic member in an opened state, and the opened state supported by the elastic member is removed by an end of the second circuit board.
As an eighth aspect of the present invention, the housings have respective opposite sloping portions on which the end of the second circuit board abuts for closing the housings.
As a ninth aspect of the present invention, a holding portion to hold a middle portion of the terminal is provided on the first the housing.
As a tenth aspect of the present invention, the housing consists of a fixed-side housing having the engaging member for the first circuit board and a moving-side housing movable relative to the fixed-side housing, and the terminal is accommodated in the moving-side housing.
As an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a shaft portion is provided on either one of the fixed-side housing and the moving-side housing, and a shaft engaging portion to movably engage the shaft portion is provided on the other of the fixed-side housing and the moving-side housing.
As a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the moving-side housing is movable in the fixed-side housing in an axial direction of the shaft portion.
As a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in a connecting structure of the circuit boards with the connector, the first circuit board is resilient, and a connector engaging portion to engage the engaging member is bored through both of the first circuit board and the panel so that the panel is supported by the engaging member.
As a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, a moving-side housing engaging portion is provided on the first circuit board, and an engaging portion for the moving-side housing engaging portion is provided on the moving-side housing.
As a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of slots are provided on the first circuit board so as to permit the first circuit board to be bent.
As a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the first circuit board is securely put between the fixed-side housing and the panel in a state that the engaging member engages the connector engaging portion of the panel.
As a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the terminal is formed generally in a L-shape, and the first and second contact portions of the terminal are first and second elastic contact portions, respectively.
As an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, a positioning portion to engage the first elastic contact portion of the terminal is provided on an front end portion of the housing.
As a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the positioning portion is provided on one of the pair of housings of the fifth aspect, the one of the pair of housings being one not accommodating the terminal.
As a twentieth aspect of the present invention, the positioning portion is a groove to receive the first elastic contact portion therein.
As a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, the front end portion of the housing having the positioning portion is a circular-arc surface formed about the hinge as a center thereof.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided.
(1) Since a flexible electric wire is not required for connecting circuit boards, the connecting structure is simplified and compact-sized, and manufacture man-hour is reduced, thereby reducing the costs.
(2) Since the second circuit board is put into contact with the second contact portion of the connector in a state that the connector is secured to the first circuit board by the engaging member and the first contact portion is put into electrical contact with the first circuit board, the connecting work can be facilitated and working man-hour can be reduced.
(3) Since the engaging member is turnable, a position divergence between the connector and circuit boards can be absorbed, thereby assuring the electric connection between the contact portions of the connector and the circuit boards.
(4) Since the connector is movable in a longitudinal direction of the first circuit board within a range of a gap between the engaging hole and the engaging member, a position divergence, in the longitudinal direction of the first circuit board, of the connector, or namely the second circuit board, with respect to the first circuit board can be absorbed, thereby securely connecting the second circuit board to the first circuit board without using a conventional flexible electric wire.
(5) Since the second circuit board can be sandwiched between both the housings, the second circuit board can be easily and securely connected to the second contact portions of the terminals, thereby improving the connection workability. And, since the housings can be closed and opened about the hinge, the attaching/detaching workability of the terminals is improved.
(6) Since the shaft portion of the hinge is integrated with the engaging member, the structure can be simplified, and reduction of parts and improvement of assembly work can be attained, thereby reducing the cost.
(7) Since the housings are kept open and closed by inserting the second circuit board therebetween, the second circuit board can be easily connected to the connector.
(8) Since the housings are closed by pushing the sloping portions by the second circuit board, the second circuit board is easily securely connected to the contact portions of the terminals in the housings with strong contact pressure, thereby reducing connecting work man-hour.
(9) Since a middle portion of the terminal is held by the holding portion of the housing, the terminal can be kept stable. And also, assembly work of the terminal to the housing can be facilitated, and assembly man-hour can be reduced.
(10) Since the fixed-side housing is securely supported by the first circuit board by means of the engaging member, when the second circuit board is inserted into the moving-side housing inside the fixed-side housing, a position divergence between the second circuit board and the first circuit board can be absorbed by movement of the moving-side housing, thereby smoothly securely connecting the connector to the second circuit board.
(11) Since the moving-side housing can move with respect to the fixed-side housing due to a gap between the shaft engaging portion and the shaft portion, even if there is a position divergence between the first circuit board and the fixed-side housing, the contact portion of the terminal in the moving-side housing can be securely electrically connected to the first circuit board.
(12) Since the moving-side housing can shift in an axial direction of the shaft portion, a position divergence of the circuit conductors of the first circuit board can be absorbed.
(13) Since the first circuit board is supported by the engaging member of the fixed-side housing, any other fixing means for the first circuit board is not required, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing the cost.
(14) Since the engaging portion of the moving-side housing engages the moving-side housing engaging portion of the resilient circuit board, the terminals of the moving-side housing are always accurately put into contact with the circuit conductors of the resilient circuit board without a position divergence, thereby improving reliability in electrical connection therebetween.
(15) Since a portion of the first circuit board inside the slots can laterally and vertically shifts along with the moving-side housing, the terminals of the moving-side housing are always further accurately put into contact with the circuit conductors of the resilient circuit board without a position divergence, thereby further improving reliability in electrical connection therebetween.
(16) Since the resilient first circuit board is tightly put between the panel and the fixed-side housing, degree of flatness of the first circuit board can be improved, thereby enhancing reliability in electrical connection between the connector and the resilient first circuit board.
(17) Since the elastic contact portions on respective ends of the generally L-shaped terminal are put into elastic contact with the respective first and second circuit boards generally orthogonally arranged each other, position divergence between the terminal and the first and second circuit boards can be absorbed within ranges of elastic deformation of the elastic contact portions, thereby attaining securely electrical connection of the first and second circuit boards with sufficient contact pressure.
(18) Since the first elastic contact portions of the terminals projecting from the housing are positioned by means of the positioning portion, contacting, or short circuit, of the elastic contact portions can be prevented, and the elastic contact portions are accurately positioned to the respective circuit conductors of the first circuit board, thereby ensuring large or sufficient contacting area.
(19) The second contact portions of the L-shaped terminals are accommodated in one housing, and the first contact portions project outside from the one housing. And, the end side portions (the free end side) of the first contact portions are positioned by means of the positioning portion of the other housing. Therefore, since rotative movement of the first contact portions is very small, contacting of the elastic contact portions can be securely prevented, and the elastic contact portions are accurately positioned to the respective circuit conductors of the first circuit board, thereby ensuring large or sufficient contacting area.
(20) Since the elastic contact portions of the terminals are accommodated inside the grooves as the positioning portion, even if the connector is strongly pushed against the first circuit board when the second circuit board inserted therein, the elastic contact portions are protected in the grooves, thereby preventing the elastic contact portions from being deformed or damaged.
(21) Since the circular-arc front end surface of the housing smoothly slips on the first circuit board when the housings turns about the hinges, the second circuit board can be inserted inside the connector smoothly and also both the circuit boards can be easily connected to the connector, thereby improving connecting workability and enhancing reliability in electrical connection.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.